As 14-year-old Brandon McInerney prepares to be arraigned today in the slaying of 15-year-old Lawrence "Larry" King at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard, his lawyer is advancing a defense that at least partly blames school officials for the tragedy.

Educators should have moved aggressively to quell rising tensions between the two boys, which began when King openly flirted with McInerney, said Deputy Public Defender William Quest.

Instead, administrators were so intent on nurturing King as he explored his sexuality, allowing him to come to school wearing feminine makeup and accessories, that they downplayed the turmoil that his behavior was causing on campus, Quest said.

On Feb. 12, McInerney shot King in the back of the head with a handgun as first-period classes were beginning, according to police. McInerney's inability to see another way to solve his problem is partly the fault of the school system, his attorney said.. . . . .

This story was in my weekly Hate Watch email from the Southern Poverty Law Center. Blaming the victim and the school system is NOT the answer. 1. How does a fourteen year old get a handgun to perform this killing? 2. This was an execution. If there are third parties to blame, wouldn't the parents of the killer, be the most responsible?

_________________“I'm not a member of any organized party. I'm a Democrat.”-Will Rogers